Draft roller pressure control mechanism



April'3, 1951 e. F. NORCROSS DRAFT ROLLER PRESSURE CONTROL MECHANISM 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed March 25, 1949 A ril 3, 1951 a. F. NORCROSS 2,547,485

DRAFT ROLLER PRESSURE CONTROL MECHANISM Filed March 25, 1949 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 min i GiZberiFrrmw 3 ZHJJJB .Mmsi

Jitormayr Patented Apr. 3, 1951 DRAFT ROLLER PRESSURE CONTROL MECHANISM Gilbert F. Norcross, West Caldwell, N. J., assignor,

by ,mesne assignments, to McGlynn Hays In-' dustries, Inc., Belleville, N. J a corporation of New Jersey Application March 25, 1949, Serial No. 83,386

is necessary to maintain tension on the sliver, ex-' cept between the last two pairs. The last roller pair is rotated at a much higher rate of speed than the next adjacent pair, and it is between these pairs that the actual drawing takes place. Consequently, additional pressure is needed upon the last Weight roller to provide the necessary grip upon the sliver to insure the sliver being drawn out. lfhis, in the past, has been accomplished by the use of shiftable weights whereby different pressures could be obtained as needed. These systems required individual adjustment, and a change in pressure entailed. considerable labor and a prolonged shutdown of the machine. In present day spinningmachines, for example, there are some 200 spindles on each side of the machine, and as each pair of slivers is independently controlled a. great number of adjustments are required to change the pressure. It has been proposed that means be employed for simultaneously changing the pressures on all of the units as disclosed in applicants co-pending application S. N. 792,376, filed December 18, 1947. Such mechanisms employ mechanical means for controlling and maintaining the pressure; and, although quite effective in operation, it is impossible to obtain the nicety of control and uniformity of operation obtained through the use of the present invention.

The object of the present invention is to provide a control system whereby simultaneous adjustment of the pressure upon all units may be achieved by a single, simple operation.

A further object of the invention is to provide such means which does not depend for its operation upon the use of springs, or other yieldable mechanical contrivances, needing frequent adjustment and replacement,

Another object of the invention is to provide a control system in which any of the individual pressure points may yield to, thickness, irregularitiesof the sliver and 'in'which" increased or de- 6 Claims. (01. 19-135) creased pressure caused by the yielding of that unit will be equally distributed to all of the units, thus reducing to an infinitesimal amount the pressure change upon the individual unit yielding;

A still further object of the invention is the provision of an auxiliary cushioning means to further reduce the effect of pressure change caused by the yielding of an individual unit.

Other objects of the invention will appear from the following description of one embodiment of the invention when taken in conjunction with the drawings which accompany and form a part of this specification.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a vertical, transverse section through the draft section of a typical spinning machine, with the structure of the present invention shown in position thereon;

Figure 2 is a partial rear elevation of the structure shown in Figure 1, only the end sections of the control mechanism being shown and the conventional structure of the draft sections being shown in skeleton form; and,

Figure 3 is a section through one of the pressure control units, showing its manner of attachment to the control medium manifold and the linkage employed for connecting the control unit 7 to the pressure application mechanism.

In general, the present invention contemplates the use of a manifold for a control fluid and a plurality of control units attached to the manifold and in communication therewith. the number of units being equal to thenumber of pressure points on the machine, and means for connecting each unit to its respective pressure point.

Referring to the. drawings in detail, there is shown somewhat diagrammatically in Figures 1 and 2 a conventional draft mechanism used in connection with a spinning machine. The mechanism is shown as mounted upon a draft rail 1 and supported by a plurality of vertically positrunnions of'the upper or weight rollers 8. One of the rails 5 carries upstanding brackets 9 upon which the pressurelevers l0 fulcrum, as in common practice each lever I0 is provided with a pump and reservoir for fluid 35.

3 handle I at its upper end and the lower end of the lever is formed as a seat I2, to rest upon the trunnions I3 of the lowermost pressure rollers M.

The above-described structure is somewhat conventional, and it is well understood in the art that pressure applied to the levers It at a point midway between the fulcrum 9 and the point of engagement with the roller trunnions l3 will regulate the pressure with which the roller M bears upon the sliver passing between it and its driven roller 4.

The present invention is concerned with means for applying a force to the levers ID to control the pressure which the levers exert .upon the rollers Hi. In practicing the invention, a tubular manifold E5 is secured to the rear of the draft section and is shown on the drawings as being supported from the draft rail "I. The manifold extends horizontally the full length of the draft section and supporting brackets it are bolted to the draft rail and project rearwardly. .U-bolts l1 surround the manifold and have their ends secured to the projecting portion of the brackets 16. The manifold is drilled and tapped as ,at 18 in those transverse vertical planes which include the levers l0 and expansible members is threaded into the openings 18. Members 19 are shown as bellows or Sylphons, and comprise a head 28 having a threaded nipple 2.! .for insertion into theopening l8, anda body portion having annular-corrugations 22. The body portion has a closed lower end which is in the form of an annular boss 23. The head 26 has an inwardly projecting portion 2 1 which forms a stop to limit the collapsing movement of the body portion.

The head, .nipple and the inwardly projecting portion are bored as at 25 to provide communication from the manifold It to theinterior of the body of the Sylphon.

Plates 2 3 receive the lower ends of the ,Sylphons, the plates being recessed asat2] .to form seats for the bosses 23 at the bases of the Sylphons. Bails 28 are connected .to the plates 26 and have their loop portions connected to eyes 29 .in links 30. are connected to .couplingmembers 31 which .are .adjustably secured to the handles it. Each coupling member terminatesin a threaded portion 32 which passes throughanopening 33 .in the handle, and the threaded portions receive nuts 34 which bear upon the outer surfaces of the handles to adjust the length of the linkage connecting the Sylphons to the handles.

The manifold I5 is connectedat onelend to the be of any suitable type and is not shown .in .detail herein, but it will be understood that additional fluid may be pumped into the .manifold by operation of the pump handle 3.6.120 build up the pressure, and the pressure in the .manifold maybe reduced by operation of the release valve 37. The opposite end of .the manifold maybe closed by a plug, or as shown in the drawing may .be connected-to a'closed airchamber 13.8.

After the mechanism has been assembled as shown and described, each .of the units is preliminarily adjusted by .means of thenut .36 .to

removethe play from the linkage systemso that .each ofthe units will react immediately and lim ,formly .to pressure changes .within the manifold and Sylphons. After this preliminary adjust-- :ment, the entiresystem is.r.eady.for.us.e.and.the

required .;pressure may be .put :upon the rollers The pump may Theopposite ends of links 30 4 manifold completely filling the manifold and Sylphons and compressing the air in the system within the air chamber 38. Continued operation of the pump will cause expansion of the Sylphons and each of these members will move an identical amount drawing down on its linkage system and its lever H] to apply pressure to its particular roller I4. The gauge 39 may .be conveniently placed upon the pump unit so that the pumping operation may be stopped when .any predetermined pressure is reached.

As the pressure medium is fluid, any of the pressure applying units is free to move when a knot or thickened portion or a thin portion of the sliver passes between the rolls. This yielding movement will cause a slight compression of the Sylphon body driving a portion of the fluid back into the manifold, or a slight expansion of the Sylphon admitting more fluid; but, as this merely adds to or takes from the fluid in the remainder of the system, the fluid volume change will be equally divided among all of the units so that no noticeable or appreciable pressure change will be imposed on any of the rollers. This holds true for the unit which has yielded as well as the others as this unit will be under the same pressure as the others. By reason of this, the pressure upon the sliver is maintained substantially constant throughout the entire drawing opera.- tion, regardless of irregularities which may be present in the sliver.

This same efiect is had when for any reason one of the handles is operated to release its roller so that it may be removed. In this instance, however, the removal of the roller takes away the pressure point upon which the Sylphon for the particular roller was operating. The tendency would be for the pressure within the system to expand this Sylphon beyond its normal length,

7 jrjlestroyins its usefulness, and lowering the pressure ,in the remainderof the system. Due to the construction of the bail 28, when the Sylpho-n expands but asmall amount the bail engages the manifold J5 preventing further expansion of the sylphonand maintaining the pressure within the system.

The use of the air chamber 33 further mini m'izes pressure changes for, although the fluid within the system is incompressible, the air withinthechamber .38 ,is not, and the cushioning action of the air will to some extent act as a compensator to stabilize the system -,to minimize the .eifectof volume changes in the system when one .unit yields.

,l irom the above, it will be apparent that the present invention provides a system of ressure control which may be adjusted quickly, andwith nicety, and in which the various control units may yield without having the entire pressure change caused .by the yield borne by that particular unit, but rather distributing the change among all of the units to reduce the effective change onanyunittoan inconsequentialamount.

While .in the above, one practical embodiment of theinvention has been disclosed, it will be obvious that the invention may take forms other thanthat specificallyshown and disclosed without departing from .the scope of the invention as ,defincdby the, appended, claims.

What isclaimedi r 1. Fluid control meansfor regulating ,the pres- .sureennonthe weightrollers Q a hofa p ural y -.of pairs of ,draft rollers .to control ,the friction mm .the. slivers vpassing between the rollers o f eachpair comprising, .a manifoldrneans to force incompressible fluid to said manifold, a plurality of expansible chambers each having one end fixed to and in communication with said manifold, and linkage connecting the opposite end of each said expansible chamber to its respective weight rialler, whereby pressure may be applied equally and simultaneously to all of said weight rollers and pressure changes upon a weight roller in claim 2, means to preliminarily adjust the linkage.

due to yielding of that weight roller to thickness irregularities in the sliver will be minimized by distribution to all weight rollers.

2. Fluid control means for regulating the pressure uponthe weight rollers of each of a plurality of pairs o'f draft rollers to control the friction upon the slivers passing between the rollers ofeach pairi'comprising, a fulcrumed lever for each weight roller having a portion to bear upon said weight roller, a manifold, a means to force in compressible fluid to said manifold, a plurality of expansiblefchambers each having one end fixed 5 to and ain'jcommunication with said manifold, and linkage connecting the opposite end of each said expansible chamber to its respective fulcrumed lever, whereby pressure may be applied equally and simultaneously to all of said weight rollers andpressure changes upon a weight roller due to yielding of that weight roller to thickness irregularities in the sliver will be minimized aby distribution to all weight rollers. l

3. In uid pressure control means as claimed 4. In fluid pressure control means as claimed in claim 1. an air chamber in communication with said manifold.

5. In fluid pressure control means as claime in claim 2, an air chamber in communication with said manifold, and means to preliminarily adjust said linkage.

6. In fluid pressure control means as claimed in claim 2, said linkage including a bail surrounding said manifold and having its free ends at-- tached to said expansible chamber, whereby said bail may engage said manifold when its fulcrumed lever is released to prevent undue expansion of said expansible chamber.

GILBERT F. NORCROSS.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS 

